Stands @ rAge: Dell Alienware, Top CD, TVR Computers

20 September 2012

By Wesley Fick

Continuing with my coverage of the stands you need to visit at rAge before it opens, the three stands below are taken up by some big brands with a lot of fans. In particular, Alienware has always had a big stage presence in recent rAge expos and this year is no different – they actually appear on two stands! Whip out your To-Do lists, this needs to go down for your weekend visit.

DELL ALIENWARE AT STAND #87 & #89:

Over the years Dell has partnered with quite a few local companies to boost up sales for its Alienware lineup. While you can still buy a decent second-hand car for the price of their M17XR3 gaming laptops, they are some of the best examples of portable gaming money can buy and this year they’ll be sharing two stands – one belongs to Telkom Do Gaming and the other to Electronic Arts.

This year marks Dell’s second with their Alienware range available in South Africa and rAge will kick off the country-wide availability from their local ordering portal (damn, this means I have to check them out as well for my Laptop Buyer’s Guides). Alienware wil be sponsoring hardware at both the EA and Telkom stands, with Telkom’s Do Gaming League players competing for Alienware X51 rigs as well as a year’s worth of Monster Energy drinks. There will also be X51 rigs handed to winners of the Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare championships that will be held over the weekend.

And in addition to all this good giving to the gaming community, you should stop by the EA stand if you really, really want one of Alienware’s Aurora gaming desktops on display (literally, the ones they will have on the stands). Ask one of the nice people there for a reference number and you can buy any one of their Aurora desktops at a huge discounted price – remember, you will be able to order the PC from the local portal. The machines are demo units and come with a one year warranty. Grab one of the Alienware brochures as well – these can be turned into posters! There will also be a bumper sticker competition with Alienware-branded accessories up for grabs.

TOP CD AT STAND #47:

Ah, if only there has a Hitman stand here instead, it would have matched up so perfectly. Top CD will be at rAge with a bunch of games and peripherals like headphones on display, as well as products from the other categories normally found in their stores. Top CD is usually everyone’s go-to place for buying series and movies so if you’re a keen collector, you might find something you like.

As well as games and movies, the Top CD staff will also have daily competitions on to win some of the newly-imported Tritton Xbox 360 headphones. Details will be at the stand when you get there, but if they ask you to jump to win, always ask, “How high?” In next month’s NAG Magazine you should also keep your eyes peeled for any vouchers there may be inside.

TVR COMPUTERS AT STAND #48

Right next to Top CD will be TVR, a nationwide distributor that brings in some of the harder-to-find brands into the country, including Huntkey power supplies. This year TVR will be bringing a number of new products to their shelves, top of which is Asrock’s X79 Extreme11 motherboard. There will be other Asrock products on show, including the new Vision HT home theatre PC, a rather high-end unit to handle all your home viewing needs.

TVR is also a local Genius distributor and the company has been making some inroads into the gaming community with its value-orientated products. Debuting at rAge this year is the GX Gila gaming mouse, a MMO-centered mouse that aims to be, feel and look different. You’ll get your first hands-on taste at rAge, along with many other products at TVR’s stand.

Also at the TVR stand will be Palit’s Geforce GTX660 Ti Jetstream:

Taking up slightly more than two PCI-Express slots on your chassis, the dual-blower fan setup allows Palit to rival form of the more extravagant setups of competitors, MSI being the closest with its Twin Frozer cooler. If you’re looking for some high-end products to complement that new XSPC kit you bought from Titan-Ice’s stand, this should be one of your stops where you can empty your wallet. Come prepared!